Suit Claims Drug Treatment Center Uses Scientology Rituals

Yesterday's Santa Cruz Sentinel reports on a lawsuit filed last month in a California federal district court against Narconon drug rehabilitation centers (and related entities) alleging that they falsely represent their success rate and are used to recruit people into the Church of Scientology. The class action complaint (full text) in Burgoon v. Narconon of Northern California, (ND CA, filed 3.25/2015), alleges false advertising, deceptive trade practices, negligent misrepresentations and breach of contract.  Among the key allegations in the complaint is:

Defendants represented, through their advertising and other express representations, that the drug rehabilitation services they offered were “secular” and not associated with any religion when, in fact, their treatment program required the Plaintiff and Class Members to study Scientology and engage in Scientology religious rituals as “treatment.”

A similar lawsuit was filed in Michigan in January against a Narconon Center there. (See prior posting.)